I don't have $1,000 to attend the Families for Better Public Schools dinner, but I'm sure glad that there is someone hosting one! I'm also glad that someone is standing up to represent the UNDERREPRESENTED parents and students in our fine state. I also know that my local School Board isn't going to approve a whole lot of alternative charter school education in my district, no matter how badly I want it. Our public district is so poverty stricken and uninformed that we can only count on the incumbent Board members to get voted in over and over. I spend thousands of dollars a year to get my middle schooler a quality education. I spend hundreds more a month in housing costs so my elementary schooler can get a quality education. VOTE YES ON CHARTER SCHOOLS!!! WE NEED MORE CHOICES!!! Competition for public school students will only cause existing public schools to treat students and parents better. As it currently stands, it is sometimes a case of the administration and the "peasants."

Elizabeth, I appreciate your grounded response. It is clear that you are an advocate for education and a watchdog for change that could have dangerous consequences. Theoretically, a state agency with properly chosen representatives would not override the School Boards of high performing districts. Isn't it clear why this bill was introduced? This bill was introduced to circumvent the short sightedness of School Boards who realize very well that state resources are drying up, and that approving more alternative schools in their districts will only slice the pie into smaller slices for existing schools. I realize that this is tragic. I truly do. I also realize that there is risk involved, in that a state agency could be swayed by back room, closed door deals that involve money and are not centered around parent and student needs and ideals in education.

My personal problem has been solved. I have remedied the situation for my own 2 children and they are blossoming in thriving gardens of education. I do personally wish to start a charter school. I am a Master's student in Early Childhood Education, an exhibited artist, and have a sincere interest in opening up quality education opportunities to those who have challenges in learning and/or socio-economic status. Truth be told, I would have really liked to have started a charter school for students with behavior challenges. I have significant experience in this area.

My passion for reform comes not just from the fire that burns within me due to lack of regard administrators had for my son's and other students' quality of education, but also for those in my district who have been left behind. I am not the only parent who feels this way. Another parent at our elementary school moved to be in better school zone and said the same thing, 3 years later. She said, "All I can think about sometimes is those who were left behind in that school." The local School Board is led by a quality Superintendent with a vision for our district. The only problem is that with the funds shrinking and so many challenged students in our district, the Board is not open to new ideas. They are trying to preserve the institutions of education for which they already have SPLOST funds, hired, tenured teachers, SMART boards, etc.

It is not fair that students and parents who ARE PAYING ATTENTION should be forced into a neighborhood school zone that debilitates their choices regarding the quality of education received. There MUST be more choices, Elizabeth, or certain weeds will strangles certain beautiful plants here in our garden. I envision a school that is a small community, similar to our local Montessori school. Quality, the arts, access to the outdoors, creative methods of instruction coupled with some project based learning. I can't get anywhere as an individual. Even as groups they will quell our efforts. It must come from outside this district.

Our state leaders realize that even with the resources of the past decade, our state's school systems are generally getting D's as far as graduation rates. They are finally going to give some mavericks the freedom to try to make a dent in the Empire. I support mavericks of change, even if they are dangerous. I want someone to get some flowing water into some of these stagnant ponds YESTERDAY.

Thank you both, Rebecca and Athens Mom, for your responses. I think, Athens mom, that you are giving "the state" by which I really mean, the General Assembly, far too much credit for leading the voters to believe that they are interested in any of the reforms that you speak of. That is why I am writing this blog. This is political - it is not about supporting mavericks of change. You might ask exactly why local boards are struggling to make ends meet, why are music programs being cut, why are class sizes increasing, why are testing mandates increasing every year? The "state" you speak so fondly of is responsible. Stay tuned, and keep and open mind!

I will keep an open mind. I struggle mentally with this issue daily. It is so different from county to county, and that compounds the complexity of the issues facing public education in Georgia. Don't the testing mandates come from the feds?

@Rebecca ~ that is really phenomenal news. Will it be a public or private entity?

"it will allow the state to set up a separate school system unaccountable to the taxpayers."
Really? State charters have to follow the same curriculum and demands as any other school in GA. DIffrence is if they dont produce positve results they can be shut down, restructured. Can not do that to the traditional school.

How is that considering that the tax payers are the ones who are asking for it in the first place.
We have accountability we elect the local BOE, we elect our state reps... they get out of line you vote them out..

Thomas,
As you know money is one part of the equation not the main determinant of student performance. Any public school system should use public funds efficiently and wisely at all times.The fact that many have not is not a good reason to allow the state to expand it's constitutional powers via a charter commission which will be unaccountable to the taxpayers. How will HR 1162 address any of the existing problems we have with our local school boards? I have high regard for the GaDOE. Don't you think Dr. Barge's opinion on this issue should carry more weight than Rep. Lindsey's? Local Boards have the ability to authorize start-up charter schools. HB 797 is a blank check. The Charter Commissions charge is to "enhance" existing public school offerings with charter schools (code for EMO's) that can operate high quality schools that can be replicated. That is precisely what HB 797 says. How exactly will that nebulous goal improve the low performing public schools with low graduation rates. As the saying goes, "Past performance is no guarantee of future success." The former charter commission may have done an excellent job - that's not the point. If it's not in writing, a new one can do whatever they want.

Liz, please do explain how the funding will work under HB797?

Read this press release from GaDOE, including the attachments, for the REASONS Dr. Barge opposes the state charter commission. http://www.doe.k12.ga.us/External-Affairs-and-Policy/communications/Pages/PressReleaseDetails.aspx?PressView=default&pid=54

From the Georgia School Board Association, an analysis of how the state will allocate additional funds to charters approved through this commission, which will mean fewer dollars available to local BOEs since the K-12 education budget will be, at best, budget neutral. http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/08/04/under-new-law-state-will-send-3-3-times-more-funds-per-child-to-state-charter-schools-than-local-systems/?cp=all#comments

If you think this is NOT a Trojan horse, read the article about Louisiana, which Georgia Senate Majority Whip Chip Rogers wishes we could emulate yesterday.
http://blogs.ajc.com/jay-bookman-blog/2012/07/18/is-louisiana-the-future-of-georgias-education-system/?cp=10

@Me: I have not yet read the links you posted; I will do that next.

@Ms. Hooper: "Any public school system should use public funds efficiently and wisely at all times.The fact that many have not is not a good reason to allow the state to expand it's constitutional powers via a charter commission which will be unaccountable to the taxpayers." Well, what is it exactly that you suggest we as a community of parents and decision makers do? I'll try not to laugh my brains out through my nose as you suggest a dangerous situation where community leaders are unaccountable to the taxpayers. As a parent who has experienced the best in public education, some grievous incidents in public education, and an educator who has observed some heinous unprofessionalism in education, I will say, YET AGAIN, that some of us CAN'T LOSE - BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY LOSING! The quality of services to OUR CHILDREN is fair at best in some schools, and the admins do NOTHING about it because of tenure and a lackadaisical attitude - "Sit down, shut up, and eat and drink what we give you." THE DAY FOR CHANGE HAS COME.

@Thomas Hart - YOU NAILED IT.

I read the links you posted. It saddens me to think of the districts who are serving parents and children and may lose public funds to a charter school they don't want. But theoretically, if parents don't like the school, then they won't apply for enrollment. Therefore, charter schools will have to offer something better if they are to attract appplications.

The only article that chilled me was the last link, by Jay Bookman. Yes, it disturbs met to think of the marriage of church and state to the degree that religious beliefs are being taught as science curriculum. It disturbs me greatly. However, if I had been unable to relocate my child last year, and had been stuck with the very unsatisfactory option of the public school for which I was zoned, I would have reconciled myself to the option of religious education for my child, as long as it included educators who worked well with children and provided him a better learning environment where he might actually be able to learn. Golly, if you looked at my child's math scores before we moved, you would think the kid was an idiot. Miraculously, after we moved, his grades improved all around. If the district had effectively confined me to that school and the grades had never improved, don't you THINK IT WOULD HAVE SOMEHOW BEEN MY FAULT AND MY KID'S RESPONSIBILITY THAT MY CHILD DIDN'T LEARN?? CHOICES - CHOICES - CHOICES - CHOICES - CHOICES NOW.

@AthensMama The really sad part is that the monies diverted to charter commission schools will most likely be taken directly from programs that benefit the majority of students. Research for a bit the amount of money received from the federal government vs the amount of funds expended for fed-required programs. Those students (TItle 1 and special ed) will continue to receive the services the feds require while the average to gifted students are shoved into larger classes with fewer resources. How many school systems who've cut their school years to 144, 147, 150 or 160 days cut the number of sports programs (i.e., employed fewer coaches with little or no interest in teaching)?? No, class sizes rise literally to the number of seats they can squeeze into a room, not even desks anymore.

Does your system have community meetings fpr school board members? If so, you should definitely attend those since, as you've likely noticed, school board meetings are usually pro forma to get their decisions in the minutes. If they don't have community meetings, get your LSAC active in requesting that be started. Ours tend to be more open forum as the board member reviews what is on the agenda for the next meeting.

And I assume you noticed in the Bookman article that the school with DVD and Bible verse instruction had a top-ranked basketball team but no library? Here's another prize from the Louisiana: http://blogs.ajc.com/get-schooled-blog/2012/08/07/a-charter-school-mandates-pregnancy-tests-for-students-is-that-going-too-far/

If you read this version of Patch, you may have seen the numerous posts on how FSA SHAMED the North Fulton middle schools in student achievement and their parents bewailed having to send their children back to the evils of regular public school. Well, I had an impromptu conversation with a student who has been in his zoned school for two weeks now. He said he likes his new school better. When asked why, he said that the teachers are better, there are more kids to be friends with, there are more language choices than Spanish and Turkish, and the clubs are MUCH better. Because FSA always touted their extracurriculars as a HUGE plus, I asked about how his local school's clubs were better. He said the teachers at FSA had to do clubs, so they didn't always do much, usually the kids could do homework or read as long as they were quiet. NOT a ringing endorsement for the FSA charter, is it? (FSA was the one that Fulton didn't want to renew because they were embarrassed by how it compared to the local public schools, according to some local politicians who "drank the Kool-Aid.")

Call me a Kool-Aid drinker, but with some of the schools we have to choose from, I'll take my chances on getting a decent charter school choice. At least then people will have a choice...There are a million variables that make some schools a better choice above others for some families. You have to give people choices when customer service is not exactly at an all time high in some schools....

@AthensMama, By "drinking the KoolAid," i meant not getting the information on both sides of the issue, but taking the word of one group (e.g.., politicians responding to complaints from a group of dissatisfied parents in a public statement before due diligence)> You don't seem one to do that.

If you have a quality superintendent now, has there not been consideration of conversion charters in your system? I assume you are in Clarke County, which does seem ripe for opportunities to partner with groups to bring in extra resources with that route. Fulton actually has a number of conversion charter schools as well as start-ups. I think a majority of the schools in Sandy Springs converted to charter over the past several years. Dunwoody Springs was, for example, a lab school for Georgia State's School of Education. Athens is certainly in a prime spot to collaborate that way. With conversions, you already have the infrastructure in place so the effort to get that done isn't necessary and you can put your energy into positive changes (strong local school council, parent involvement contracts, school uniforms, business partner commitments, curricular enhancements, etc.).

There may already be consideration of charter system status there, since systems have to opt for one of three choices soon. Ask your school board member; keep caring!

Browse Ridgeview Charter's website if you're interested in seeing how a conversion charter can work. (They have a demographics page as well if you want to compare that to your schools.) http://www.ridgeviewcharterschool.org/

I'm trying. Elizabeth and Me - the bottom line is that it is August 2012 and we still only have one neighborhood school choice for each age group. That might not be a crisis for middle schoolers - although it actually is - but for elementary schoolers - it's darned near child abuse as far as I'm concerned. You see, from a Human Growth and Development standpoint, middle schoolers switch classes all day long. They are at a developmental age that does not value themselves as much by their treatment from adults as treatment from peers. The elementary schoolers though - they spend ALL DAY LONG, ALL FREAKING WEEK with one caregiver - FOR TEN FREAKING MONTHS. When you factor tenure into this equation, along with endorsements that afford schools more funding for certain teachers - then it really doesn't matter what kind of customer service is being given to parents and students - as long as the machine keeps going and the meat keeps grinding - you've got a perfect recipe for a 67% graduation rate. That, my friends, is not going to be acceptable for my children. If Mr. Lanoue is such a great leader, and I'm not saying he isn't, then why aren't these changes already taking place? It's not a secret that families have left Clarke over and over and over because of poor environmental circumstances and poor customer service. It keeps me awake at night - the children who are losing their educations because of a broken system.